Boy with the Broken Soul
by Honeydewmelon56
Summary: After Jack gives up control of his body to B-Rabbit, his soul (or what's left of it anyway) is sent to the abyss. When he finds out Lacie is alive but lost, Jack is hell bent on doing anything he can to save her—even if it means facing a host of angry Sablier victims out for revenge. Jack/Lacie. Jack whump. AU.
1. Prologue

"Lacie…is dead. I killed her."

And in that moment, everything shattered.

"What are you doing?!"

 _Granting Lacie's final wish…I want to make Lacie happy._

A building full of corpses burns to the ground.

 _Lacie..._

 _Lacie…_

 _Lacie…_

Red-hooded figures run around the city, slashing everyone in sight. The city soon matches the color of their hoods.

 _DESTROY._

He wonders if that was the reason they chose that color.

Blood splatters. All he can see is red.

"I won't let anyone take away what is mine!"

He doesn't notice that he's crying. It doesn't matter. There are more important things to worry about right now.

"Stop this!"

Black hair… Gilbert. Oswald. His precious friends.

 _DESTROY EVERYTHING._

Five black winged chains. _They're ruining your plans. Oswald is ruining your plans._ Why would he do that? I'm just trying to make Lacie happy…

 _Maybe you should kill him._

"Oswald!"

 _I'M GOING TO BRING THE WORLD INTO THE ABYSS._ You're destroying everything.

 _It doesn't matter._

Even yourself.

 _FOR LACIE._

A decapitated head rolls to the floor in front of Jack's feet. He drops to his knees and cradles it to his chest. Hot blood mixes with tears.

 _Why did you do this?_

What have I done?

 _"Jack!"_

He screams and wakes up.


	2. Chapter 1

Jack sat up and hugged his knees to his chest, his breath coming out in short, shallow gasps. His heart felt heavy in his chest like a stone. _Oh, why did I do this?_

 _Lacie…_

Jack remembered why he had tried to bring the world into the Abyss; it was all for Lacie. It was only ever for Lacie.

He needed to find her. Save her.

Jack stood up and looked around. The Abyss was the same as it was every day since he had gotten there, with the random floating toys and occasional furniture drifting about, and the odd, water-like substance covering the shimmering ground. No chains were in sight as Jack had made it clear that he was not to be messed with. They all seemed to be afraid of him anyway, and even without their memories they still had the sense to run away when he was near. It was good, he told himself, he needed them to fear him. He needed that power, if he had nothing else.

Though it did make for some problems with getting information. He had to wander around the Abyss for a long while before he found any sort of life form, and even then he wasn't able to talk to it. The chains were too afraid—rightfully so—and they ran from him at first sight. Jack really couldn't be bothered to chase them, and they were a lot faster with their long legs and insect wings.

As Jack was walking he heard movement behind a mantelpiece covered in bizarre dolls and crept slowly toward it. He was very careful not to make a sound, stepping very lightly on the multicolored surface of the Abyss's watery floor. He came to the front of the mantelpiece and whipped around to the back, grabbing whatever was behind in one swift motion.

It screamed when Jack wrenched it out from its hiding place. It wasn't a chain yet and was still in human form, though Jack could see traces of green scales beginning to form on its face. Jack gripped its neck and pulled it close to his face.

"Where is Lacie!" Jack screamed.

The chain shook and sniveled, barely managing to squeak out an "I don't know," to which Jack responded to by squeezing its neck tighter. He held the chain up in the air by its neck and it looked down at him with fearful eyes. Black liquid dripped down its cheeks and onto Jacks face, and he grinned. He didn't know chains could cry.

"Where is she!" Jack shouted, voice hoarse.

The chain only gasped and didn't produce any sound except for slight sniffling, which wasn't helpful to Jack in the slightest. He snapped the chains neck and drew his hand back, not even watching as the body fell limply to the floor. Jack simply continued to stroll casually through the Abyss looking for more chains and hoped one of them knew where Lacie was. It was a pity he had to let that one go; catching them was always such a chore.

This had become the norm since Jack had given up control of his body to B-rabbit, and had since been taken to the Abyss. He assumed it had only been a few days, but he couldn't be sure. Time worked differently in the Abyss, ten seconds here could be ten years on earth or a thousand years in the Abyss could pass in the blink of an eye. He didn't really care either way. He was just glad to be away from that wretched world he never really belonged to in the first place, and now he could search for his lost love without, hopefully, any interference.

Jack walked through the Abyss, almost aimlessly, since he had no idea where Lacie might be. He figured he had time to explore every direction, but he wanted to find her as quickly as he could. That way he could leave this place as soon as possible. He had a feeling he was unwelcome here.

"Monster!"

Jack looked up. He had apparently been so distracted thinking about Lacie that he hadn't realized he had wandered into an area heavily populated with chains. Malformed human souls still in the process of turning into chains, as well as the monstrous beasts of fully formed chains were scattered about the area…and they were all staring at _him_. From the look in their eyes, they were afraid, but still filled with anger and such a need for vengeance that they knew was unattainable. Jack continued to stride down his aimless path, watching as the chains and pitiful souls darted out of his way. He heard their frightened whispers and he looked menacingly in their direction as they scurried away.

"He's a bloody demon!"

Jack hardly flinched at the comment. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and tried to walk as if he were on a casual stroll through the garden.

"…caused the tragedy of Sablier!"

 _Hm, so some of the chains still have their memories_ , Jack pondered, _interesting_. That was alright with him, let them hate him. He would do it all again if it were to save Lacie.

"…selfish bastard!"

Jack clenched his fists. How dare they make fun of his lineage.

 _Wasn't my FAULT!_ His mind screamed at him.

"He should never have been _born_!"

Jack didn't take notice of the red glow around his fists, but red soon filled his vision. He was clenching his jaw so hard he thought it might break, and he was nearly quaking with rage. Then he realized that he didn't need to uphold the mask any longer. Why bother? He didn't need to keep pretending to be the charming sunshine prince everyone used to know. They all knew who he truly was now. _A monster_.

Jack felt his hand scorching and he thrust it out in the direction of one of the chains. Before Jack even knew what was happening, the chain exploded right in front of his eyes. The other chains quickly scattered, their harsh whispers silenced. Jack noticed the red glow surrounding his hands, and the red tint in his vision that he had thought was caused by anger. Apparently he still had some residual control over B-rabbits power, even in these circumstances. He blew up the nearest chain and watched as it was obliterated. A grin split his face and he threw his head back in wild laughter.

 _That'll show them._

He did it again and again, watching as one chain after the other was blown to smithereens. Misty black blood was thick in the air and Jack was frenzied with excitement and rage.

"Well that was quite entertaining," a childish female voice said from behind him.

Jack spun around to see a small girl who couldn't be more than Alice's age sitting on a floating dresser. She had long, light brown hair, which was tied in a ponytail with a white rose clip that dripped strands of glass beads down her hair. She wore a lime green tunic with cuffed Capri jeans. She smiled playfully at him and swung her legs back and forth while she sat, and most peculiar, she didn't look the least bit afraid.

"Do you wish to be next?" Jack shouted, his own voice unfamiliar to his ears.

The girl raised her eyebrows. "Oh come on now, don't be like that, Jack," she said in a mocking tone.

Jack shot a bolt of red light straight at her without a second thought. She caught it in her hand and squashed it like a bug, until all that power was nothing more than red dust that flowed through her fingers. The girl's eyes narrowed and she gracefully hopped off the dresser. She gently floated down to the ground and Jack stared at her in wonder. She might've known his name from the other chains, or she still had her memories, but how was she able to block B-rabbits power? Jack raised his hand to shoot at her again but she put her hand up to stop him.

"Killing me might not be the best option right now, Jack," she said, mildly irritated instead of scared. Which she should've been.

"Yes, that's what they all say," Jack retorted, "Are those your final pleas for mercy?"

The girl wasn't phased in the slightest, still remaining in front of Jack and absentmindedly trying to balance on her tip-toes. Her lips curled slightly in a sly smile. "Do you even have an _inkling_ of where she is right now?"

Jack looked at her with more attention. His focus immediately sharpened and he regarded the girl with more caution than he previously had, seeing as how she wasn't the typical soul. "What are you talking about?" Jack asked. A thought wriggled in the back of his mind as to who the girl was referring to, and Jack hoped it was true.

The girl shrugged sassily, an obvious answer to his question.

"You know where Lacie is?" Jack asked. His eyes narrowed.

The girl shrugged again and casually strutted to the other side of him. "Maybe," she said slyly, like she knew more than she was letting on.

Jack abruptly grabbed her neck in one hand and pushed her back. "Where is she?" he said through gritted teeth. He was not in the mood for games. If this foolish girl had information about Lacie then he would get her to talk.

The girl looked at him with something he could've mistaken for pity, but he knew that wasn't it. Strangely enough, it wasn't fear. Jack still had his hand tightly around her throat so this girl was either very brave or very stupid, because she still would not talk. She only stared at him with those doleful brown eyes.

"Where is she!" Jack shouted as he squeezed her neck tighter.

The girl looked at him with such deep sadness; the playful attitude was gone. "What happened to you, Jack?" she asked quietly.

Jack squeezed her neck tighter, and the girl opened her mouth slightly in a desperate gasp for air. "Tell me where she is!" he screamed in her face.

The girl flinched. Jack's hand started burning and he wondered if . It hadn't hurt last time, but maybe he was just trying to—

He was suddenly pushed away from the girl and fell to the ground, clutching his burned hand. He glared up at the girl with his teeth bared, but also wondered how she was able to do that. No normal human soul had that kind of power, so she might have formed a contract with a chain. Although if that was true, what was she still doing in the Abyss?

The girl sauntered over to Jack while he was still bowed low on the ground. "I am a being of the Abyss, granted powers by the Will of the Abyss herself. Do not test me, Jack Vessalius. I am not going to waste my time caught in your foolishness," she said, her voice stern and with a tinge of agitation.

Jack clenched his jaw. Who was this girl to think she could overpower _him_ , him of all people. She should've feared him, but instead she had the power to hurt him and to stop his power. She was not afraid, and therefore, not respecting of his reputation. He wanted to wring her skinny little neck, but if she had information about Lacie, he needed her alive.

He took a deep breath to try and calm himself before speaking. "I just want to find Lacie," he said in the calmest voice he could manage, although it came out more desperate sounding than he had wanted.

The girl smiled sympathetically, not that Jack could see it. He didn't want to look up from the watery floor of the Abyss.

"I know. She's too far from here for you to reach her on your own, but I can take you to her," the girl said, her voice back to its innocent and childlike tone. She extended a hand to Jack and smiled cheerfully.

Jack looked up to see her smiling, genuinely smiling at him and holding out her hand to help him up. Why would she be helping him? Why wasn't she afraid? Her attitude had been cold moments before, but she wasn't angry or running away in fear. She was also offering to come with him on a trek across the Abyss for seemingly no reason other than to find a girl she had no connection with. Jack wondered _why_ , because in his experience, people didn't just do nice things without having an ulterior motive. Especially not for him.

He looked at her proffered hand for a moment but didn't take it and stood up on his own. The girl rolled her eyes before turning her back to him and continued to skip ahead of him without a care in the world, much like the child she appeared to be. Jack pressed his lips together in a thin line but he tried to keep his composure. He wasn't in the mood for dealing with foolish children when Lacie was out there somewhere, but he needed this girl until he found her. Lacie could be suffering alone out there, so Jack needed all the help he could get in order to find her. Even if that meant dealing with strange children who may or may not have been planning against him.

"You know my name but I don't know yours," Jack said.

The girl turned her head to look at him, but continued moving. "Ariella," she called, and continued to skip forward.

Jack had to walk faster to keep up with her. "What are you up to?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Ariella spun around to face him. She put her hands on her hips and bent slightly towards him. "Why do you think I'm up to something?" she said petulantly, a mischievous expression on her face.

"If you haven't already noticed, I am the man that killed everyone in Sablier," Jack said sharply, "you must be planning _something_ if you're willing to help me."

Ariella shifted her mouth to the side and looked steadily at Jack, considering. Then she shrugged and turned away. "Nope," she said, popping the 'p' and continued skipping.

"Aren't you afraid?" Jack asked.

"I've been here a lot longer than you have, Jack. I'm not scared of a few chains," Ariella said with a small giggle.

Jack gave her a sideways glance.

"Oh, oh you meant afraid of _you_?" she feigned surprise then smirked at him, "don't be so full of yourself."

Jack tightened his jaw. The nerve of this girl, how dare she speak to him like that? Of course, he didn't know what to say in response, so he continued walking in brooding silence.

He was not in a particularly good mood, although he never was unless he was with Lacie, and right now he just wanted to be alone. Ariella's enthusiasm was not helping, and his agitation grew with every skip and twirl she did. Jack couldn't believe he was even going along with this, having Lacie's fate in the hands of a carefree child like her. She probably didn't even know where Lacie was and was just trying to mess with him—a big mistake on her part—although Jack couldn't deny the power she had displayed when he had tried to use B-Rabbits power on her. If the Will of the Abyss had entrusted her with powers then she must have some importance; Jack's only question was _why_. He figured he could deal with that later. He had enough to worry about at the moment and he needed to focus on the problem at hand.

If Ariella was just playing with him, he would get rid of her, simple as that. But there was also the possibility that she actually _did_ know where Lacie was, and in that case, he needed her, for the time being at least. And there was the third option, she knew where Lacie was but wasn't taking Jack in the right direction to find her. That was always a viable option, as everyone in the universe seemed to love messing with him. Jack couldn't really do anything about that one though, but he knew for sure he couldn't trust Ariella.

Notes: So this is basically what happens when I make Jack actually guilty for what he did, because I love guilty characters and I honestly thought it would be interesting to see. Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts, that honor goes to Jun Mochizuki. Special thanks goes to the instagram account for giving me the courage to write. I love you! Also, yes there are OC's in this story (please hold all groans of despair until the end, thank you). Most of them are just side characters that make scattered appearances, there's not that many of them. There is one OC that plays a major part in the story, that is my OC Ariella, but she is NOT going to be a love interest for Jack. I repeat, she is NOT going to be a love interest, only a friend, and this is a strictly Jack/Lacie fanfic, no love triangle or anything stupid like that. So please don't worry, I tried very hard not to make Ariella "Mary-Sue-ish." Shrieks of ecstasy? Groans of despair? How did you like it? Lemme know in the reviews! (no flames please, I am but a smol marshmallow)


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Tunnel Vision

The landscape had been pretty bleak as they walked; always the occasional toy or piece of furniture floating by, but no chains. If they came across any they always scattered away in fear of Jack. He knew that the opinions of a few brainless chains meant little to nothing, yet Jack started to feel sick from hearing their pathetic little squeals and seeing them dash for cover behind the nearest object. He tightened his jaw and looked straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge them. All he cared about was finding Lacie.

Then, a whisper.

"Hero of Sablier," were the only words Jack heard, but it was enough. One of his many nicknames, the one he had brought upon himself, whispered in horror and disgust. He should have been used to it by now, the terrified reactions, but he couldn't help but be infuriated by it. The chains were so pitiful, merely brainless creatures that were once humans; they had been deformed by the Abyss and turned into monsters, but they were still so very weak. Jack couldn't stand it. They weren't human, they weren't even fully creature, just some terrible mixture gone horribly wrong. Yet they had the right to call _him_ a monster? They stood in their false and cowardly safety, watching him pass, their eyes bulging with terror and morbid fascination. Jack felt a scorching heat in his palms and he thought it was just the anger building up inside of him, but it had manifested into the red hot power of B-Rabbit.

Jack couldn't let it all go to waste, now could he?

Ariella silently observed him. She heard the whispers as well, and she immediately noticed Jack's shoulders tightening, and his jaw set. She watched the change in him. She could see his fingers twitch and glow bright red, she could see the rage build up inside of him and all she could do was wait for him to explode. Ariella breathed out softly through her nose and looked upon him sorrowfully.

The two chains looked almost human, they couldn't have been sucked into the Abyss that long ago. They had barely even begun the transformation and still had a general human shape, albeit more hunched and skinny. They were scrambling to hide behind an armoire a few feet away but Jack thrust out his red hands and blew them into oblivion. Black blood rained down from where the chains once stood moments ago; there one second and gone the next.

"Aggressive now, aren't you?" Ariella said.

Jack turned back to the path they were on. He looked straight forward and kept his eyes on the nonexistent horizon off in the distance, trying to avoid Ariella's inquisitive gaze. His shoulders were squared and he took long strides to try and get in front of Ariella, and Ariella sighed and continued walking. She made the best effort to walk right beside him, knowing how much it aggravated him. She internally giggled at his mood, he was very much like a child throwing a tantrum.

Ariella skipped, jumped and danced along the shimmery floor of the Abyss to an imaginary beat inside her head. She kicked up the water-like substance and millions of tiny shimmering droplets scattered around her feet like a sea of stars. Occasionally she would hum, and sometimes she would try to strike up a conversation with Jack, who ignored her. Ariella crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hmph. You're no fun," she said, disgruntled.

Jack glowered at her. "I didn't come here to make friends, I came here to find Lacie," he spit out each word with growing irritation.

Ariella threw her hands up in mock surrender. "We will, don't worry. She's just in a very… _secure_ part of the Abyss, so it will take some time to reach her."

Jack drew nearer to her and glared at her with fierce intensity. "Secure? Is she trapped? Have you hurt her?" concern and impatience and anger laced together in his voice, "I swear to God, I will kill everyone in this whole goddamn place if you've hurt her," he said through gritted teeth.

Ariella's eyes widened for a moment, then her expression settled into disappointment. "Relax, she's fine. And when you go to rescue her maybe you can play the real hero this time," she said with a certain sharpness to her words.

Jack crossed his arms in annoyance at her blatant disrespect, but he chose to ignore it. "Very well then, where are we off to first?" he asked curtly.

Ariella pointed to something far off into the distance. Jack couldn't see what it was from where they were, so it just looked like a lump on the dull landscape of the Abyss. He couldn't imagine why they had to go to something so insignificant.

"That's a tunnel up there, it'll take us to a different part of the Abyss where it'll be much easier to get to Lacie," Ariella explained.

Jack squinted to try and see more of this so-called tunnel. It started having a more definite outline as they drew closer, but it seemed to be constantly changing shape. It was a mess of colors undulating like waves, forming and removing lumps from the surface. He had never seen anything like it before, but then again, the Abyss was a strange place. This kind of thing probably wasn't uncommon.

"There are, however, a few complications," Ariella added. Jack looked at her, and she continued. "It's a sort of portal, and chains are drawn to its source of energy. They've surrounded the tunnel and it's become toxic."

Jack looked off in the direction of the tunnel and squinted. "You have magic, do something about it," he said stonily.

Ariella tilted her mouth to the side in agitation. "Yea that's not really how this works," she wiggled her hand in the air even though Jack wasn't looking at her.

They were close enough now so that Jack could see that the colorful waves were different types of chains, all amassed into one large blob. He couldn't see the entrance and wondered how they were going to get in, and more importantly, how they were going to get through to the portal.

He and Ariella stopped far enough from the tunnel so that no chains came after them. Jack wasn't sure if they would or not, seeing as how chains usually tended to avoid him. He wanted to use B-rabbit's power to demolish all of the chains into dust, but there were too many and he had only a small amount of power left in this form since he had given his body to B-Rabbit. It would use up all of his remaining power just to get rid of half the chains in there.

"How do you suppose we get through?" Jack asked.

Ariella shrugged. Jack turned to her. "I thought you knew this place!" he shouted at her.

"I know _of_ it," Ariella said.

Jack sighed exasperatedly. They needed to come up with some way to get through there. He could see the entrance now, a cavernous, gaping hole guarded by a chain. If only those chains would scare as easily as the ones from before…

"Hey, where are you going?!" Ariella screamed as Jack suddenly took off towards the tunnel.

Jack ran to the entrance and stopped a few feet in front of the guard-chain. It lunged at him but he easily destroyed it using the power of B-rabbit. The other chains around them held back for a moment after witnessing the explosion. Jack raised his arms and smiled wickedly at them.

"What are you waiting for?" he shouted, "come on! You want to eat a human? Well I'm the worst human around! I caused the Tragedy of Sablier! It's my fault you're all dead! Go on, attack me! Have at it!"

None of the chains moved.

Jack smiled wider, triumphant. This was a game he knew.

"I'm impressed," Ariella said to him as he strode back to her.

"Now we shouldn't have any problems," Jack said confidently.

"Except the floor," Ariella added.

"What about the floor?"

"I told you, the chains polluted it and turned it to acid," Ariella said matter-of-factly.

"I'll carry you on my back," Jack replied.

Ariella jerked her head back in surprise. " _What_?"

Jack glanced down at Ariella's feet then back at her face. "Acid floor, bare feet. You're of no use to me if you can't even walk," he said indifferently.

Ariella considered this for a moment before climbing onto his back as they neared the entrance to the tunnel. "That's very kind of you," she said and grinned.

Jack laughed dryly. "I am _not_ kind. Call me whatever you'd like, but at least make it truthful."

Now it was Ariella's turn to laugh. "Since when have you ever been truthful?" she snorted.

Jack helped Ariella climb onto his back and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She wasn't terribly heavy, but he hoped he could get them both to the end of the tunnel without falling.

He stepped through the entrance of the tunnel and heard the sizzling of his boots in the bubbling green acid. He hoped the rubber soles wouldn't melt before they reached the end, but he had to be careful going through. The chains were docile for now, all pressed to the edges of the tunnel, but one wrong move could easily set them off. They stared intensely at him, fearful yet hungry. They were fickle creatures beyond comprehension and reason, much like the Abyss they resided in, so Jack didn't want to chance it and do something that would provoke them.

They were almost halfway through the tunnel when Jack felt the first bubble pop against the bottom of his foot. There was no pain, just pressure and the heat of the soft rubber on his skin. It wasn't quite melted yet, just the bottoms had started to bubble. At least, that's how it was at first. Jack tried to speed up their trek but accidentally sloshed some of the acid onto the cloth part of his boots. It ate a hole right through the cloth and burned his skin, and he hissed and slowed down.

He heard Ariella _hm?_ But he made some non-committal wiggly hand gesture and she settled back down.

He could feel as the rubber bubbled and melted away. It popped against his skin and dripped into the acid and sizzled sickeningly in his ears. He could feel the acid seep in through the holes and burn his flesh with each step that he took. He gritted his teeth against the pain, it felt as if his feet were literally on fire. He cursed at the agonizingly slow walk, but he didn't want to make another mistake like before, or worse, drop Ariella or fall himself. He had to be patient. Besides, the acid wasn't too deep and only part of the sole of his boot was disintegrated. He had to keep reminding himself of this when the smell of burned flesh and rubber assaulted his nose.

Jack was panting and sweating, his hands clenched into fists and his nails digging into his palms, but he was sure they only had a little ways to go before they were free. He was definitely going to have terrible blisters on his feet when they were through with this, but it was worth it if it got him closer to rescuing Lacie.

Jack groaned low in his throat at the pain and stumbled. He caught himself by leaning against the wall and he squeezed his eyes shut. His eyes shot open when he heard Ariella scream loudly in his ear.

"What now?!" he snapped.

"Oh, Jack~" said a mysterious, garbled voice that sounded like it was underwater.

Jack looked over at a chain who had the torso of a human woman, but the body and legs of a spider. She smiled ear to ear. Jack's pain was momentarily forgotten when he remembered that the "wall" he was leaning on was made of chains. They looked at him now with less fear and a lot more vigorous hunger.

"Uwee hee hee~ he has no power!" said a gravelly voice tinged with laughter.

"No power! No power!" a few other voices chimed excitedly.

Jack threw his hands down and lit them ablaze with the red glow of B-rabbits power. "You want power? I'll show you power!" he shouted.

"Jack," Ariella chided, "you can't take on all of them."

"You think I don't know that? I would have done so already if I could," Jack ground out through gritted teeth, tilting his head back slightly so only Ariella could hear.

The chains began to leave their positions on the walls and slink towards them.

"Run," Ariella whispered in Jack's ear.

The chains came at them all at once, creating a massive shifting in the tunnel walls and ceiling. It was much more open and bright once they had moved, but Jack hardly took notice of the change in surroundings. All he heard was the whirring of wings and splash of feet, the sounds of all the chains moving together in one giant mass of destruction. Acid splashed almost up to Jacks knees as he ran. His boots were partly disintegrated already and blistering his skin, but he didn't feel it with all the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He literally saw a light at the end of the tunnel and pushed himself to run faster. The hoard of chains were right behind them, but if he could just make it outside then him and Ariella would have a better chance of escaping in the open space.

He felt the breath of a chain on his back and thought worriedly about Ariella when she removed one of her arms from around his shoulders, but she said nothing. He heard her grunt and then she put her arm back around him, holding tightly.

"Are you all right back there?" Jack yelled over the din of the chains.

"I punched it in the eye," Ariella said, more aggravated than anything else.

In less dire circumstances, Jack would've laughed. He tried to run faster, but the acid and Ariella's weight on his back hindered him from doing so. He was just barely outrunning the chains so he needed to get out of the tunnel as soon as possible. He heard them screech behind him along with the constant whirring of wings, but the light was so close; he was almost there. If he could somehow distract them, that would give him and Ariella the advantage so they could escape.

He reached back and plucked a pin from his braid and threw it as hard as he could at the wall of the tunnel. It hit the wing of a pursuing chain and was propelled into the glass. The pin lodged in the glass wall and Jack couldn't see it cracking from behind, but he could hear it. The small crack widened and traveled up to the roof of the tunnel, where it was shattered by the beating wings of all the chains crammed in the small space. Glass shards began to rain down upon them.

"Hold on!" Jack shouted, and Ariella tightened her hold on his shoulders.

Jack tried to pick up as much speed as he could, just barely outrunning the glass that was caving in behind them. Shards of luminescent glass rained down and showered the chains, some large enough to impale them into the ground. Jack hoped he could get them out in time before that happened to him.

A chain screeched as it was hit in the back with a glass shard and it lurched forward, throwing out its wrinkly arm in a desperate attempt to survive. Its claws dragged through Jacks coat and flesh and he hissed, but kept running. The chain was left behind to wail on the floor of the tunnel.

Almost to the end, Jack saw a lucent blue glow emanating from the tunnels exit. It was a pure sphere of light, and Jack had no idea where it would lead or what would happen when he went through it, but right now it was their only option.

"Hold on!" Jack screamed at Ariella as he jumped through the portal.

It was an odd sensation, it felt he was passing through a wall of water. It was calm and cool, and felt smooth just like water and left him feeling refreshed. At least, for a split second it did. The portal spat him out on the floor of the Abyss and he didn't get the chance to notice if he was actually soaking wet or not. Jack and Ariella were immediately followed by a hoard of chains that burst out from behind him in a huge swarm, encompassing an even greater space with their large number, now that they were in the open expanse of the Abyss. Jack looked up at the chains and saw only a giant mass of destruction and evil, all gathered in a cloud in the hazy Abyss sky. They only swarmed for a moment, then dived down sharply without warning, but with a vengeance.

"Ariella!" Jack called, and threw her off his back.

Ariella landed with a _thump_ on the watery floor and glared at him for a split second while he screamed at her to run. A swarm of chains flew all around him and Jack couldn't see her anymore, but he prayed she was alright—she was his only hope of finding Lacie, after all. Then Jack ran for cover.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: False Things

Ariella was spat out of the teleportation portal and landed right on her face. She tried to control a groan that rose in her throat; that was the second time in the last five minutes she had been thrown to the ground and she was starting to get sick of it. Although she couldn't forget the agonized expression on Jack's face before she left. Ariella thought about it as she stood up.

"Did you have fun?" a female voice asked Ariella.

Ariella spun around. Of course _they_ would be here. Two figures cloaked in pristine white robes stood before Ariella. Both wore white masquerade masks that hid their faces and curved sharply into points at the tips. The woman had a bundle of white feathers on one side of her mask and Ariella thought she must have assumed they looked good. The feathers crumpled under her hood and made her look like a goose.

Their hoods were pulled low over their heads and cast shadows over their faces but Ariella could feel their piercing gaze on her. They were always there, waiting, watching. They didn't trust her one bit, and Ariella thought bitterly, the feeling was mutual. Although, if anything was going to work as it should, she had to be at least cordial with all the white-robed freaks. Ariella narrowed her eyes out of habit but forced a pleasant smile on her face.

"Dietri. Warrigan. How lovely to see you again," Ariella said in what she hoped was a cordial-enough tone.

Warrigan had the audacity to laugh. "Are you enjoying your little dance?" his mouth twisted into a sickening grin as he taunted her.

This was common, seeing as how she had been the one to volunteer for the position that no one wanted. _Suspicious_ , they all thought. _Strange_.

"I was making progress," Ariella said, not caring enough to bother with the details.

"You've been summoned," a third voice stated.

Ariella looked at the woman standing high above them on a floating bedside table as if it were some sort of pedestal. She wore a long black dress that made her look like some sort of human spider with all the black tendrils dripping down her form and over the little table like a toxic waterfall. Mattrich always was one for theatrics. _And arrogance_. But Ariella supposed that was a thing that made up all of them, especially the _Magjistare,_ the leader of the _Ciasstolas_.

Mattrich gracefully stepped off her pedestal—literally, never metaphorically—and walked over and placed and arm around Ariella's shoulder. "Come, Elizabeth, I will show you what our next move shall be." Her tone was dripping with sadistic excitement and Ariella found it absolutely dreadful.

Mattrich led Ariella over to the wooden gazebo, the ivy covered headquarters of the _Ciasstolas_. A small headquarters, yes, but there weren't that many of them to begin with. Ariella figured Mattrich could have recruited more, with the popularity of what they were doing.

Revenge always was such a tempting treat, Ariella mused.

The gazebo was filled with a gathering of masked figures with eerie smiles, all wearing the same hooded robes so that Ariella couldn't tell the difference between them. As Ariella and Mattrich drew nearer, the figures silently moved to the side and gave the girls a wide berth to pass through. They didn't speak, only stared blankly at Ariella and Mattrich as they passed. What looked like a stone well sat in the center of them, with a silver dish filled with water and smooth stones balanced on top. The _looking glass_ , as the others called it.

Mattrich waved her hand over the surface of the looking glass and Ariella almost fell forward into it when Mattrich harshly slapped her on the back. She pushed on her back and made her look in the water, forced to watch it swirl with color until it finally settled on the scene that Mattrich had conjured. Ariella gasped, horrified.

"You can't do that!" she cried. When she joined them, this was not how she had wanted it to be.

Mattrich, and many of the others, smiled evilly.

"Oh, oh yes we can," Mattrich said, looking down at the water with fascination.

* * *

Jack, cursing with every painful step. He was right, that tunnel had certainly left a whole lot of blisters on his feet and the bottoms of his boots were almost completely gone. He sucked in a breath, feeling the sharp pain shoot through him each time he placed his foot down. It didn't help that he was walking none too gently, just stumbling on through the emptiness and wishing that blasted child would show up already.

Fate was never so kind to him.

There was nothing in sight, only the endless wavy landscape for miles. The chains had since dispersed, and now there was not a single one in sight. There wasn't even any floating furniture in the atmosphere, which only aggravated Jack even more. He had always found the randomness of it so entirely pointless, but now all he wanted to do was rest. Figures; that would happen the one time he needed the Abyss to cooperate with him. Jack needed to find Ariella in order to find Lacie because—he was reluctant to admit—he had absolutely no idea where he was going. He didn't know where Lacie was, and the Abyss was so expansive that Jack could wander around for a hundred years and never find her. Not to mention she could be in any number of secret dimensions with hidden entrances. Lacie could be hidden away and trapped in the nothingness of the Abyss and Jack would never know. Ariella had said that she was located somewhere _secure,_ although Jack had no idea what that meant. He didn't even know if Ariella was alive or not; he hoped she hadn't gotten eaten by a chain. Even if she had survived, he had lost her in the swarm and had no idea where she was now. He didn't even know where _he_ was. That portal had dumped him in some unknown part of the Abyss and he had no clue if he was any closer to finding Lacie.

And his feet hurt. The acid had burned through the soles of his boots, although mercifully left the heels intact. But the adrenaline of the chase had worn off and sharp pain shot through Jacks nerves every time he took a step. He was exhausted and angry as he limped around, and all he wanted was to find Ariella quickly and get on with their search. Of course, that still meant he had to walk, but at least he would have some direction as to where he was going and all the pain in his feet would at least be worthwhile.

"Ariella!" Jack screamed with growing frustration. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides, and ground his teeth together.

"Ariella!" he snapped. "Ariella can you hear me! Answer me! Ariella!" he screamed at the sky.

"Dammit!" he cursed, and kicked the ground. The watery substance sprayed up around him and his foot scraped something sharp that had been lying underneath the surface. That, combined with the acid burns, had Jack doubled over and hissing in pain.

An eerily smiling doll with glass eyes lie underneath the waves, staring back up at him. That must've been what he had kicked. Could've just been his imagination, but it looked like it was _laughing_ at him. Jack reached down into the water and plucked the doll up, holding it by the neck and squeezing a little too tightly. The head bulged with stuffing as Jack strangled it. He ripped its head off and threw it as far as he could, then screamed again into the sky.

He bent down and rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. He tried to get his anger under control but was struck again by the feeling of " _so what?_ " and just stood up and continued walking.

* * *

It had been _hours_ since he had last seen Ariella. At least, it seemed like hours. He couldn't really be sure; he could never gauge how much time had passed in the Abyss. Time here was a flowing as the watery floor he walked upon.

Jack was panting from the effort of just keeping himself upright, and the wild colors of the Abyss started blurring together. He didn't know whether it was actually happening or if his mind was playing tricks on him.

That's when he heard the laughter.

Jack whipped his head around to see who was there—maybe Ariella had found his way back to him—but he saw only the bleary landscape of the Abyss. Not a body in sight.

He shrugged it off as another symptom of his exhaustion and kept walking, although he was a little more on edge and kept looking over his shoulder.

He heard it again.

It was an odd and faraway laughter, yet it sounded as if it were right next to him at the same time. It was haunting and familiar; the giggle of a little girl causing mischief, the playful laughter of a girl Jack used to know in a past life.

A girl that was dead now because of him.

Jack hadn't realized he had been clenching his fists until that last thought snapped him back to reality. He also noticed the laughter had continued to drift in and out, fading away and then reappearing from some other angle. He couldn't see where—or who—it was coming from, which made him more than a little nervous. He spun around and looked at the sky of the Abyss, then at the direction of where the laughter last came from, but every time he tried to catch where the laughter was coming from, it changed. It echoed all around the overwhelmingly large space of the Abyss and seemed to swallow him in its sound. Jack spun in all different directions, turning left to right, looking up and behind him, and his braid swung wildly around him.

"Ariella?" Jack said cautiously, breathlessly.

He hoped it was just Ariella playing a prank; another one of her childish antics. Even though Jack was in no mood for games, that was a far more savory option than the other thought that plagued his mind.

The laughter was suddenly very loud behind him. Jack whirled around.

And there she was.

He didn't know how many times he had wished to see her again, so he could apologize to her, tell her he didn't mean for it to happen. Jack wanted to tell her that he had never wanted her to die—

 _Lies_.

She would have died in the tragedy of Sablier anyway.

She died because of him.

And now she was there, standing in front of him, her back to him. In all her former glory, Jack could see, with her long chocolate hair flowing down her back and wearing the elaborately poufy dresses she loved. Jack had always complimented her on those when he would visit, telling her how stunning she looked. She would always smile so brightly when he complimented her, and even just from seeing him visit. Jack felt his heart physically _ache_.

She had been so young, so full of life. She was Lacie's daughter and Jack had killed her. She had been Lacie's own flesh and blood and he had heartlessly, carelessly stood there as she plunged those scissors into her jugular and bled to death on the cold marble floors.

"Alice?" Jack asked meekly.

He half-hoped she wouldn't hear him. At the same time, he hoped she would. He needed to tell her he was sorry. He knew that wouldn't make up for it, but he needed her to know that he didn't hate her. He had always been a little annoyed with her, but he had only wanted to use her to complete his plan. Terrible, yes, but he was just a manipulative bastard that wanted to achieve his own selfish goals; he didn't want her _dead_.

Apologizing to her would not make up for what he did and had tried to do. Would it absolve him of his guilt? Probably not, but he certainly hoped so. If nothing else, he wanted to at least let her know. She deserved that much. And she was right there; this was his chance.

So why was he so terrified?

Alice stopped giggling and made a _hm_ sound.

Jack was stunned by the silence that followed. It rang deafeningly loud in his ears and he knew he had to say something, he just didn't know what.

What does one say to a person they've killed?

Jack noticed he was wringing his hands and shoved them into the pockets of his coat.

"Alice…I'm sorry."

Alice giggled again, though the sound was oddly lopsided.

"Oh Jack," she cooed, "Being dead isn't so bad."

She twisted her neck around to look at Jack and he gasped. Her face was gaunt and bony, her cheekbones stuck out like knives and her grayish-white skin was pulled taut. Her full lips were blood red and stuck out against the oldness of her skin. Most unsettling were her eyes. They had no iris, no pupil, no _white_. Just solid black, as if her pupils had been ink blots and they swallowed her eyes in the darkness. It was so unbelievably terrifying. She smiled from ear to ear and just about ripped her paper-thin skin.

"You should try it," she whispered.

Jack turned and ran.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: This cookie has chocolate chips, chocolate is brown, Lacie's hair is brown

He stumbled as he ran and his feet were killing him, but he didn't care. He just needed to get as far away as possible, as fast as he could go. He needed to get away from the distorted Alice. He needed to get away from this never ending guilt.

He had never wanted her death to happen.

But he knew it would, and he valued his selfish desire to bring the world to Lacie over Alice's life. As if her life had meant nothing. But Jack loved Lacie more than anything, more than the whole of Sablier, more than Alice, definitely more than himself, and he had proven that to her. He had given her Sablier. He had made her happy.

And apparently, made Alice angry. Now she was after him, and was going to torment him and haunt him for what he did to her.

"No, no, no, I'm sorry!" Jack screamed desperately between gasps as he ran.

He kept running even as the world blurred around him, colors mashing together in a nauseating array of foggy pigment. He was stumbling blindly and tripping over his own feet, which would have hurt if not for the terrified adrenaline rushing through his veins and numbing him to everything but the need to get _away_. He was gasping for breath and his lungs were on fire but all he could think about was getting away from Alice. Run faster, he told himself. Run away from everything. Then nothing can hurt you.

 _Alice_.

Jack kept trying to tell himself that it wasn't the real Alice; he had killed her before Sablier was dropped into the Abyss so she couldn't have been turned into a chain. This wasn't the real Alice, but Jack lost all rational thought and explanation when he thought of her. He remembered her face perfectly from when she was alive, always had the spark of mischief and defiance that had annoyed him so much, but she was so bright and always smiling. And then there was the image of the chain he had just seen flashing through his mind, the crooked smile and the black eyes…and _oh_ , the sound of her laughter. _It's not Alice, it's not Alice_ he told himself, but did he really know for sure? _Just a chain_ Jack thought to himself, but it was not comforting in the slightest.

What did it matter that it wasn't Alice because she was still dead and it was _all his fault_.

He only wanted to apologize to her but he knew nothing he said would make up for what he did to her. Jack rested his chin on his knees and moaned. He didn't dare close his eyes, for fear that Alice would come charging at him with those demonic black eyes glaring right at him. Jack hoped that was the last he would see of her.

Jack felt arms wrap around him from behind, and a body nestled right up against his back.

It was warm and light.

It was gentle.

It was not over.

Jack froze. Alice was _right there_ , and he had no idea what he would do or say that would appease her. He didn't think anything he did or said would mollify her anyway, so he just stayed silent. He didn't think he could have spoken even if he wanted to, just like he couldn't move. Too terrified; paralyzed in fear. Jack was shivering, and he knew Alice felt it too. She could feel the fear radiating off him in waves and Jack knew she was enjoying it. He felt her shift. She leaned in close, almost like she was resting her head on his shoulder. Her long hair draped over his torso and brushed against his cheek. Jack's breath came out in short, shallow gasps. His hands clenched around his legs, squeezing so tightly he could see his knuckles turn white.

"You killed me."

With those three little words, Jack was suddenly a thousand times more aware of that moment than he had been previously. He could feel Alice's blood red lips up against his ear, feel her smooth whisper travel through him, and feel her breath on his skin. Images flashed in his mind. He was screaming in rage. Alice had a pair of scissors. Then she was on the ground, her beautiful blue dress now soaked in blood. Jack remembered how he had felt then. So angry one moment, then falling to his knees in grief the next. He had never cared much for Alice; she was much too obstinate and annoying, and unlike her sister, not easily manipulated. But he remembered the terrible weight of her body in his arms, so limp, too limp. _Lifeless_. He had clutched her to his chest and cried out that he was sorry, that he hadn't wanted that to happen. Then he got up and carried on with his plans, and he just left her there. He had killed her and just left her there.

She whispered in his ear again, louder this time.

"You killed me."

Jack felt like he was choking on air.

"A-Alice…I'm sorry," he said.

"You killed me!" Alice screamed in his ear.

Jack gasped at the sudden loudness and repeated his apology. "I did it for Lacie…" he muttered weakly.

"You killed me! You killed me! You killed me! You killed me you killed me you killed me youkilledmeyoukilledmeyoukilledmeYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDME!" Alice screamed over and over again.

She repeated it so much that all the words started to blend together into one continuous stream of " _you killed me_ ," getting louder each time until Alice was shrieking in Jacks ears. Jack tried to drown out her screams with his own stream of " _I'm sorry's_ ," although they were spaced out by Jack's frantic breathing. He tried to shout it louder than Alice which led to the both of them screaming at the top of their lungs and Jack could feel the din rattle his brain. He didn't know when the noise had stopped, or if it had at all, because for all he knew, he could've just gotten used to it. He couldn't even tell the difference between loud and quiet anymore, all he could think of was Alice's deathly face and onyx eyes, and her shrieking in his ears. He couldn't even feel himself shaking, he couldn't feel the aches in his muscles from sitting there for so long. He didn't even know how long it had been. Everything Jack knew, everything he was, was consumed by the words "you killed me," until there was nothing else. It felt like he was floating in space.

Jack sat there for so long that his legs fell asleep and his arms went numb. A wisp of black smoke—some stray Abyss miasma—drifted past his face and he couldn't even work up the strength to brush it away. He kept very still, unsure if Alice was still there or not. He couldn't tell if the screaming in his ears was from her or his own thoughts. He couldn't get her out of his head. He thought about her all the time, he never forgot what he had done to her, but he had always pushed aside his guilt so he could focus on finding Lacie. But now he couldn't stop hearing "you killed me," and he couldn't get the image of poor young Alice soaked in blood out of his head. Something had broken inside of him, something that had been slowly chipping away since the day Alice died.

He regretted it, all of it, so much so that he felt his body ache with grief. He wanted to go back in time and erase everything he had done, erase the memory of Lacie from his mind so he would have never fallen so in love with her. He had only wanted to make her happy, to save her just as she had saved him. He sometimes wished she hadn't. Then none of this would have happened. Alice, and all of Sablier would still be alive if only he hadn't been so mind numbingly weak.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the monstrous trail of thoughts that stemmed from his own self-pity. He couldn't stand it anymore. Apparently the monsters of the Abyss had invaded his mind and chose to whisper incessantly in his ear how pathetic he was.

He was still shaking and exhausted, and he could feel hot tears trail down his cheeks. He didn't care how awful he must have looked, there was no one around to care anyway. So he stayed there for God knows how long, since he didn't really feel the inclination to get up.

Jack wanted to scream, _Why had this happened?_ He only wanted to be with Lacie, he never wanted to cause so much pain. When Lacie died, he hadn't cared about anything but being with her, and he didn't care about all the destruction he was causing. Now he could see the effect his selfishness had on everyone in his life.

"Hey!"

Jack gasped, thinking it was Alice coming back to kill him, and he whipped his head around nervously. It was only Ariella running up to him, but Jack wasn't able to calm the nervous pain in his stomach. He tried to calm his breathing before she got to him.

"I've been looking all over for you!" Ariella chirped, oblivious to what had just happened to Jack. She saw some dissipating black smoke but figured it was just a trick of the light on the unusual atmosphere.

Jack stared at her with wide, wet eyes and said nothing, still too in shock.

Ariella put her hands on her hips and bent down to look teasingly at Jack. She tilted her head to the side and quirked an eyebrow.

"Why ya crying? Don't tell me your feet hurt that bad," she stuck out her tongue, "don't be a baby," she said mockingly and giggled. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Jack clenched his jaw and used his sleeves to hastily wipe his face.

"Tch. Stop wasting time and take me to Lacie," Jack grumbled.

He uncurled from his balled-up position and tried to stand up, but as soon as he put weight on feet he felt a sharp, biting pain in the blisters and he staggered forward, almost falling flat on his face in the water. He put his hands out to brace himself and ungracefully plopped back down. He cursed under his breath and sat up, looking frustrated. He didn't look at Ariella but she could tell from the redness of his face that he was humiliated.

Ariella looked at him sympathetically and then at his feet. The soles of his boots had completely melted away except for the heels, and she could see the damage the acid had wreaked on the skin. The bottoms of his feet were terribly blistered, and the skin was bleeding and red. It looked excruciatingly painful to walk on, and Ariella had to give it to him for running and carrying her all that way through the tunnel. She gingerly brushed her palms over the shoes and used her magic to heal the damaged skin and repair Jacks boots.

Jack sucked in a breath as all the burning, stinging pain was replaced by a sudden coolness, and then it was gone. He pulled his feet away from Ariella and observed them curiously. No blisters, no pain. He released a breath and looked curiously at Ariella.

"Well you're no use to Lacie if you can't even walk," she said, repeating his earlier words back to him. She jumped up and brushed her hands off.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her and stood up, warily testing his newly healed feet. He glanced back at Ariella, who was smirking at him, then looked forward again and stomped off in a huff.

"Let's go," he grumbled, and didn't look back at Ariella again.

Ariella observed him while he walked, stealing secretive glances out of the corners of her eyes. Jack always tried so hard to hide what he was going through, although she wished he wouldn't. He was obviously traumatized; his movements were jerky and his steps were too stiff, too fast. She could see his hands shaking at his sides, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. He was trying to appear confident and project this aura of superiority, but Ariella could see he was fractured inside. Pity and guilt tugged at her heart when she saw him like this and she fought hard to suppress a sigh.

Ariella skipped through the air and ran to Jacks side. She had to move fast to keep up the pace with him, as he was likely trying to out-walk her so they didn't have to be side by side. He didn't look down at her, only keeping his gaze on the nonexistent horizon off in the distance. Ariella silently took his shaking hand in her own. Jack's eyes widened for a moment as he registered this, then he went back to his usual angry expression and ripped his hand away.

"I'm not your mother," Jack snapped, and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.

He hastened his stride and tried to strut faster than Ariella, and she giggled at his efforts. He looked more like an embarrassed fool rather than the confident young man he was trying so desperately to be.

"No, you're a bloody idiot," Ariella laughed.

Jack glared at her for a moment, but it was halfhearted at best. It was strange, he was oddly comforted by her sarcastic comments. She rarely held anything back when it came to expressing her opinion of him—or her disapproval of his actions. Where others would have run screaming just from being near him, Ariella stayed beside him and welcomed him so openly. She had a complete disregard for his authority and reputation and never held back a jab, and although Jack had to glare at her for the sake of his pride, he was comforted by her honesty. The faceless figures he knew in the past never had the courage to speak their mind about a person to their face, as it was always fake smiles and back stabbing. Jack supposed he was as bad as they were and he could use a dose of honesty for once.

Jack breathed out heavily, finally calming his rapid breaths. He had yet to calm his unsteady nerves, but at least he could appear more composed.

"I suppose I am," he sighed.

Jack gave up on his efforts to out-pace Ariella—for the sake of exhaustion, of course—and walked silently alongside her for a long while until they found a cluster of furniture floating in the distance. There was an unmade bed with a blue bedspread, a dining room table, a dresser, and a nightstand hanging in the air, while a lamp and a few dolls floated among the surface of the ground-waves.

Jack helped Ariella climb up onto the one bed, but he said nothing as she jumped off and curled up on a dining room table. She used the table cloth as a blanket and within minutes Jack could hear her softly snoring like a cat. He was originally going to let her take the bed, but she apparently thought she was his mother and took it upon herself to give him what little comfort she could.

 _Mother_.

 _Is that what mothers are supposed to do_? Where had that thought come from? He had never experienced any such kindness like that from his mother, not since he was a small child. His mother always took whatever luxuries came their way for herself, she didn't spare a second thought for her bastard son. Maybe that was where Jack had learned his selfishness, it had been ingrained in him from the start.

Jack shook away the thought as he kicked off his boots and climbed into bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, with no more thoughts of mothers and past demons.

* * *

"Do you miss it?" Ariella asked, breaking the silence. That was really all she could do to ease the awkward air around them as she led Jack to their next destination.

"I miss Lacie," Jack replied.

Ariella rolled her eyes, "Lacie, Lacie, Lacie, it's always Lacie. Is she really all you ever think about? This cookie has chocolate chips, chocolate is brown, Lacie's hair is brown," Ariella made emphatic hand gestures in the air as if her sarcasm wasn't apparent enough.

Jack looked affronted by her callous comment about his beloved, but then his eyes clouded over and he looked off into the distance. "She's far more pleasurable to think about than everything else," he said softly.

Ariella's heart twanged when she saw the pained look on his face, but she continued talking. "That brings me back to what I was saying; do you miss it? The world?"

Jack looked down at his feet. "Well, I did try to destroy it, that should be a good enough answer to your question," he said confidently enough, but his tense shoulders and hands shoved in his pockets did not go unnoticed.

They were silent for a while, and the only sound that could be heard was their footsteps and the ever-present _swish swish_ of the Abyss floor.

"Why?" Ariella asked, so quietly she thought Jack hadn't heard her. He didn't reply for a few seconds.

"Why did I do it or why do I not miss the world?" Jack finally said.

Ariella shrugged. "Both, I guess."

Jack gave her a sad smile. "The world I knew was never kind."

Ariella ached to reach out to him, to comfort him. She wanted to put her hand on his shoulder but didn't, and kept walking in silence until Jack spoke again.

"I guess the world must not have been kind to you as well, for you to end up here."

"I actually had a very full life, I only ended up here because of…" Ariella trailed off and bit her lip.

Jack inhaled deeply, and sighed. "Because of me," he finished for her.

He looked down at his boots again, and Ariella could almost _see_ the guilt eating him alive. She figured now would be a good time to put her hand on his back. Jack seemed surprised by the gesture and looked at Ariella curiously.

"You're not angry with me?" he asked, to which Ariella shook her head.

Jack looked at her for a few seconds and then again off in the distance, and Ariella removed her hand.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked. Jack noticed Ariella's eyes un-focus for a second, and there was an emotion on her face he couldn't quite identify.

"I've always been quite foolish," she said wistfully.

Jack wanted to know more, but he didn't want to dig more into the conversation because he knew it would be rerouted back to him, and he was too tired for that right now. So that marked the end of their exchange for a while and they continued on in silence.

* * *

There was no path that Ariella was leading Jack on and he had no idea how she knew where she was going, or if she was even leading him anywhere at all. She could've been lost and wandering around without telling him and he would never know. He tried not to think about the possibility that she was leading him astray, further and further from his ultimate destination. He should at least give her the benefit of the doubt. Ariella seemed determined and wasn't picking her turns at random so Jack decided to trust her to know where she was going. He had more to worry about than simply getting lost in the nothingness of the Abyss; he could easily deal with a few stray chains. Whatever awaited him at the place Ariella was taking him to, that he wasn't sure if he could handle. After what happened back at the tunnel, and with Alice, Jack was infinitely more wary of what was to come.

"We need to go through here to get to Lacie," Ariella said, not explaining any further. Jack wondered if she was doing that to him on purpose.

Jack looked off into the distance and was able to make out some looming black structure. He hoped it wasn't some cursed monolith or something else equally as ridiculous. As they drew closer, Jack was able to determine that it was, in fact, a massive arched gate. What it led to, Jack was hesitant to find out.

Jack looked up at the giant arch as they approached and it seemed even more ominous up close. Black iron bars reached several feet into the air and towered over him, and dead, blackened vines entwined around them like snakes. What was most disturbing was the name at the top of the gate. _Guilty_. It was written in letters that looked like they were made out of twisted wires coming undone with age, drooping and unraveling and giving off a spidery effect.

Jack suddenly felt very queasy just looking at it.

Ariella took a deep breath before speaking. "This," she gestured to the arch, "is the Guilty Graveyard."

* * *

Notes: Not sure if Lacie's hair is actually black or just a really deep brown, but deep brown is what I'm going with.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Look at What You've Done

Something about the name struck him with an intense fear so strong, he could feel a twisting inside his gut at the _wrongness_ of it all. He had a strong urge to just take off and run and never come back, but he knew he needed to go through this God forsaken place to get to Lacie. For her, he would brave anything.

Jack peered through the iron bars to try and see what exactly he was getting himself into, but the whole place was surrounded in a thick purple haze. He couldn't see more than a few feet ahead, but at least he could see that there was a path and they wouldn't be wandering blindly through the fog.

Jack swallowed nervously as Ariella pushed open the doors of the gate.

"Why is it called that?" Jack asked as he warily stepped through the iron gate.

Ariella had already looked unnerved when they arrived, but his question only intensified her discomfort. Jack had seen something dreadful in her eyes, but she looked especially haunted when he asked. She looked out into the fog like she saw something terrible approaching, then she abruptly shifted her gaze to the broken cobblestone path beneath her feet.

"It just is," she said definitively and looked at Jack, "and whatever you do, do not step off the path."

Jack knew that by her tone, Ariella was done talking. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, like why a graveyard was in the Abyss in the first place and why they had to go through it to get to Lacie, but he decided to give her some peace. They walked down the path in silence.

Jack looked around at the dreary landscape, it was as if they were inside some giant purple cloud. The purple haze blurred everything around them so Jack could only see a few feet away, and the fog was so thick he could barely breathe. Glittering green shimmered in the air like mist. It should have been beautiful, but Jack could only find it foreboding.

There was only one thing missing from the graveyard's ominous atmosphere; the graves. Jack hadn't seen a single grave since they entered, and they had been walking for a while. It was all just pure purple nothingness they were surrounded with.

"Um…Ariella?" Jack asked, still trying to see through the thick miasma.

"Hm?"

"If this is supposed to be a graveyard, where are the graves?"

Ariella bit the inside of her cheek and didn't look at Jack, keeping her gaze forward on the path. They continued walking and just as Ariella opened her mouth to speak, Jack felt something squish under his boot. He stopped, and Ariella pressed her lips together in a thin, fine line and scrunched up her nose in disgust. Judging by her reaction, Jack thought he had stepped in the waste of a chain but he looked down and saw a severed human finger. His eyes widened with revulsion.

"What the—?!"

Ariella swallowed and turned away from Jack. She looked down the path nervously and said, ''come on, we have a long way to go."

Jack ran to catch up with her. He grabbed her shoulder and she looked back at him with sorrowful eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Ariella said nothing and turned away from him, mechanically walking down the path in front of them.

"Ariella!" Jack shouted. She only stared blankly at him with those uneasy eyes.

He yelled at her to tell him where they were headed and what was going on, but Ariella remained silent as they continued on. After a few minutes Jack saw a whole severed arm off to the side, crudely cut off at the base of the shoulder. It had belonged to a female; the fingers were thin and the nails painted red, and it was clothed in a bloodstained white silk sleeve. Jack stared at it for a few seconds, wondering who it could've belonged to, and why it was there, but he had to keep moving to keep up with Ariella, who refused to stop. He figured she wasn't going to tell him anything, so he decided not to ask.

They kept walking in awkward silence, but it was more frightening than it was awkward. Maybe Ariella didn't know what was going on either, Jack thought, and that would explain why she wasn't talking. He was deeply disturbed by what they had seen, and the thought of what was yet to come. It must've affected Ariella to the point of not wanting to talk about it. She was just a young girl. This place must've scared her a lot more than it scared him. He could understand why she wanted to keep moving and get out of this place as soon as possible, but he couldn't get rid of the feeling that she _knew_ something. She kept avoiding looking him in the eyes, but Jack could see the haunted look she had in hers.

Jack inhaled sharply. A decapitated head lie on the side of the path, its mouth opened in a terrified scream. Jack couldn't be sure, since the eight years he had been involved in the noble's court were nothing more than a blur of masks and misery, but he swore that the head looked exactly like a woman he had known. Although, Jack wasn't even sure what was real anymore.

"What _is_ this place?" Jack breathed out in a shaky whisper. He received no answer.

He and Ariella walked further down the winding path way in silence. The next few severed body parts scattered along the sides of the path were enough to set them on edge, so when the fog started to clear up, Jack wasn't sure what to expect. The fog didn't go away completely, just enough so that they could see further off the path on both sides. At first he had wished for it to clear so that he could at least see where they were, but now he didn't want to.

That's when they saw the first body.

It was whole, thankfully; a man with a deep slash across his chest. Jack thought the face looked awfully familiar and he shuddered. He often did… _errands_ for the court men in exchange for them boosting his social status, and even though he couldn't remember every individual face, he had a terrible feeling that he knew this man. He tore his gaze from the man's face, and focused his attention on the cobblestone pathway. It took a moment for him to realize he was wringing his hands and he suddenly missed the purple fog.

They continued walking and saw more bodies along both sides of the path. At first it was only a few at a time but then they started increasing at an exponential rate. Soon the corpses were almost covering all the visible ground around the path they walked on. Some were missing arms or legs or heads, and many had a giant slash across the chest, like they had been haphazardly cut down with a sword that had no concern for elegance. Jack wondered what kind of gruesome battle had taken place here, since the people all wore civilian clothes. What kind of monster would murder this many innocent people?

Oh right, _him_.

The thought struck Jack with such an unnerving distress that he stumbled on a broken stone and fell to his knees. He braced himself with his palms outstretched and they scraped against the damaged stones. The staggering pain barely registered to him as he looked upon the face of a dead woman who lie in front of him. He had been trying to avoid looking too closely at any of the bodies, especially their faces, but now he was forced to look at one up close and he could see perfectly clearly. Jack knew this woman. Her name was Melanie Tarabat. She ran a restaurant in his hometown where he spent a lot of time to avoid the wrath of his unstable mother. Jack would come into the restaurant with a new bruise on his jaw and Melanie would give him a big hug and a bowl of her special chicken noodle soup; her famous "cure-all." She always made sure he was getting enough to eat.

In exchange for the food, Jack would help Melanie in the kitchen. He would peel vegetables, wash dishes, and sometimes he would sweep the restaurant and bus tables. Melanie kept insisting that the food was free for him, but Jack felt guilty taking it since the restaurant was already struggling as it was. And he liked working there, it gave him purpose. Jack didn't know what else there was to do to while he was avoiding his mother, besides joining a street gang of local urchins. (That hadn't really panned out for him when he tried to join, back when he was too young and stupid to know that scrawny boys like him were easy targets and too vulnerable to manipulation). Besides, the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. It was warm and cozy, despite the door being perpetually broken and never shutting all the way. But he was happy there. It was little more than a small, run down shack on the corner of one of the many lower west side streets, but for a while, it was the closest thing to what Jack could call home.

Jack grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Sablier so a lot of the buildings were decrepit with increasing neglect, but he didn't mind much it being that way. Jack would chat with Melanie and the restaurant patrons, and at the end of the day Melanie would send him off with a hug and kiss on his forehead and tell him to come back again to try her new recipes. Melanie had always had that paternal instinct in her and Jack had wondered if she had kids of her own; he had never seen them. She was more of a parent to Jack than his own mother was, for a short while at least.

The restaurant eventually went bankrupt and Melanie moved away to work in the factories in the northern quarter of Sablier, and Jack never saw her again. He still remembered how she had personally sought him out, just to say goodbye.

After his mother had died he had wished the restaurant was still there, as there were many nights when he went hungry out on the streets. No one wanted to be responsible for one more worthless bastard, so they all ignored him. Too absorbed in their own lives to even acknowledge him, except to shoo him away from their storefronts. And to smack him with a broomstick when he got caught stealing a loaf of bread— _that_ had been an interesting day.

Everyone turned away when they saw him sitting on street corners begging for food, refused to see how thin he had gotten. Ignored the gauntness of his skin, or his trembling blue fingers reaching for warmth on a cold winter day. Melanie was one of the few that had actually cared what happened to him, and did what she could to see that he had been healthy and fed.

Jack had wished to see her again many times when he was a boy, but never did he want it to be like this. Here she was in right front of him, with her glassy eyes looking right through him. Jack remembered how she used to smile at him with so much carefree happiness that he could never understand it. Now her mouth was gaping open in a frightened scream. A tooth was missing. There was a cut on her lip that stained them bright red and blood trickled down the side of her face from a gash on her forehead. Then there was that horrible, crude slash across her chest that Jack had seen on many of the other bodies. Melanie's purple dress was in bloodied tatters, and her hands were glistening a sickly crimson. Jack suddenly felt a terrible pain in his head just looking at her.

Before he knew it, he was bent over the side of the path, retching. His ears were ringing and his head felt like it was going to explode. His vision blurred and distorted; all he could see were Melanie's wide eyes staring emptily through him.

Jack felt someone put a hand softly on his back and he remembered Ariella was still with him. _Oh god, Ariella._ Jack was so concerned with himself and his _stupid,_ meaningless problems that he hadn't even thought about how this might be affecting her. Ariella was only a child, and if Jack was having this much trouble dealing with their surroundings, he couldn't imagine what she might be going through. Oh, he really was a selfish bastard.

He sat on the path and wiped his mouth with his sleeve—which he would never have done in the real world—but Jack couldn't care less about appearances now. He just wanted to know what was going on with this place, but at the same time he didn't want to find out.

He sat there for what felt like a long time, breathing heavily, and his head pounded like a drum. He ran his hands down his face and wrapped them tightly around himself, trying to stop the rapid beating of his heart. Ariella had been sitting next to him the whole time.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and said softly, "it's alright, Jack. You're alright."

Jack looked down at her. "What happened here?" he whispered shakily. He bit his bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

Ariella unwrapped her arms from around him and studied him. The look in her eyes was strange and discomforting; it made her look far older than she really was. She gazed at him with a look of fire and destruction, of horror and desolation. _Condemnation_. It was so sorrowful and disappointed that, for a second, Jack wondered what she had seen that had put that look in her eyes.

"Something that should never happen again," was all she said.

Ariella got up, extended a hand to Jack, brushed herself off, and continued walking down the path without another word. Jack noticed there was a stiffness in her steps and she was walking at a much faster pace than before. _Odd_ , Jack thought, since she had so far always walked side by side with him.

"Ariella?" Jack said tentatively.

Ariella looked over her shoulder to face him with tears in her eyes. Her eyes were softer now, but Jack felt the nauseatingly pitying look she was giving him right now was worse than the haunted look from before. Jack hoped her pity was for the poor dead souls that lined their path, and _not_ for him. Hatred he could deal with, but pity, no, that wasn't something he needed.

They continued down the path in silence.

They walked down the path and encountered body after body, lining the outskirts of the path and the surrounding area. There were so many of them, all so brutally slaughtered, it made Jack sick. Most had that same hastily-done slash across the chest, with some missing limbs and sometimes heads, and some had slit throats. Some bodies had gashes on their faces like they had tried to fight, but had ultimately failed and ended up here. The one thing they all had in common, though, was the undeniable sense of familiarity Jack felt about them. Of course he didn't know who they all were, but every once in a while he would see a face and it would take him back to his childhood, or days at the noble's court. The woman with a slash on her palm could have been someone he once spent the night with, or a man with blood trickling from his mouth could have been a guard at his father's estate. Jack felt a terrible sinking feeling with each new face he saw.

He shook his head. It was too impossible; these people just looked similar to those he had known in Sablier. He was confused, tired, the faces were probably just blending together and recreating images of people he only vaguely remembered. That must have been it; Jack hadn't cared to memorize the faces of people he met, only Lacie's. Only ever Lacie. She was the only one that mattered.

Jack wrapped his arms around his midsection and looked down at his boots. He laughed at the bitter irony of it all; he could remember every single detail of Lacie's face, every pore on her porcelain cheeks, every shimmer of life in her crimson ruby eyes, every smile on her perfect rosy lips. He could remember all of this even when he hadn't seen her for so long, yet he couldn't even remember what his _own_ face looked like. Was is painted in hatred, anger, sadness, _guilt_ , or was he simply a mask of bright smiles and shiny disposition? Was that all he was, fake smiles and empty eyes?

 _Empty_.

That's right. He wasn't any of those things. He was _nothing_.

 _Water_. That's what they always compared him to. You could never see its true intentions. It showed you a reflection of the sunlight glinting off the water in dancing flaming sparks. It tricked you with something so deceptively simple that you were a fool for not realizing it at the start but it was so clever because it didn't even look like a trick at all. It was just whatever floated beneath the water, the rocks and the weeds and the fish and the deceptive cunning. You couldn't see it of course, too caught up in the beautiful and sunlit reflection that you didn't realize it was pulling you closer to the water before you were in too deep and you couldn't get to the surface and you were drowning in all that pitch black murky water. Then, only then, would you be able to see what lurked beneath the waves. And it was not beautiful. It's what made up the tattered shreds of his soul; something so clear, it was almost as if it was never there at all.

Jack felt laughter bubble up in his throat and he threw his head back to look towards a heaven he would never reach.

 _Lacie_.

Now Everyone in Sablier was dead because of him.

Jack cast a glance over to the expanse of corpses and his stomach lurched. He thought he was going to be sick again. He started blinking rapidly, feeling his damp eyelashes' on his cheeks and his breathing came out in short, shallow gasps. It felt like he was drowning.

 _Impossible_.

 _Impossible_.

Jack knew what had happened to these people, although he hoped it wasn't true.

He looked to the side and noticed that Ariella had moved closer to him. He had forgotten she was even there. Jack didn't know how long she had been standing there, regarding him with concern. Whether it was for him or her own safety, he didn't know.

"Did I…do this?" Jack asked, his eyes wide. He silently pleaded she would say no.

Ariella was quiet for a beat, like she was contemplating whether or not she should answer him. Then she nodded.

"This is your graveyard of corpses, Jack. Look at what you've done."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Zombie Surfing

 _Look at what you've done._

Ariella's words echoed in his head and the increasing cacophony of screaming thoughts was so deafeningly loud he couldn't hear anything else. Jack shook his head vigorously. _No, no, no,_ this wasn't what he wanted! He just wanted to grant Lacie's final wish, he just wanted to make her happy, he just wanted to be with her! It wasn't supposed to turn out like this… _this wasn't what he had wanted to happen!_

He remembered thinking the exact same thing when Alice's dead body fell to the floor. _He hadn't wanted it to turn out like this._

Jack looked out at all the carnage, the brutal savagery the Baskerville's had wreaked upon the citizens of Sablier. The deaths of people he once knew, that was all his doing. He had caused this.

Something jarred loose within him. His hands trembled as he raised them over his face because he didn't want to see the gruesome display anymore. _He didn't want this._

Jack took a small step back, then another, consumed by the realization that everything they had seen in this God forsaken place was of his doing. He didn't even hear Ariella scream when he stepped off the path, he only felt the softness of his palms on his eyelids and didn't see Ariella reach out for him. He didn't want to be here anymore. He just wanted to disappear. It would have been better if he had never existed at all…then everyone would still be alive.

"Oh Jack…what have you done?"

A shaky, frightened voice broke through Jacks panic. It couldn't have been Ariella speaking, she was never afraid. Not of the chains, not of him, not of _anything_. What could have gotten her so terrified? Jack let his hands drag down his face and fall to his sides to just hang there limply. He looked at Ariella and saw a look of pure terror on her face.

"I told you not to step off the path," she said.

She couldn't be serious, being so afraid over the Abyss's stupid rules at a time like this. All Jack could think about right now was the fact that he had caused so much destruction and chaos and death. He didn't care about the rules of the Abyss, he didn't care what Ariella had to say to him about the path, he didn't—

Something grabbed his ankle.

Jack looked down and saw a bloodied fleshy hand wrapped around his ankle, and attached to that was the body a dead man. The man stared up at Jack from its position of lying on the ground by his feet, and the corpse's cold, dead eyes were filled with hatred and vengeance. His jaw hung at an odd angle and his words were nothing more than drunken slurs, but Jack could make out that the zombie was mumbling " _murderer_ " over and over again. Jack's face contorted in disgust and he kicked the dead man away.

He looked up and saw that the man wasn't the only undead in the vicinity. Every corpse around him was starting to wake up. They moved slowly, testing out their old limbs, and they all trampled and stepped on one another as they tried to get up. All of their eyes, if they even had them, were dark and angry. The collective mumbling of " _murderer_ " soon grew to a deafening roar. Jack knew where they were all headed as they stumbled to get up. These were the poor souls he had killed in Sablier. They were out for revenge.

"Jack!" Ariella screamed.

Her scream broke Jack out of his stupor and he scrambled back onto the path.

"Run!" Ariella yelled.

Jack barely had time to process what was happening before Ariella grabbed his wrist and took off down the path. Jack tripped over his own feet trying to get his balance as he was dragged away, but he managed to catch up with Ariella. She was still holding his wrist while they ran and she turned to look back at him.

"Were almost at the end!" she yelled.

Jack looked forward to see a giant mountain of zombies piled on top of each other and just starting to wake up. They groaned mournfully, reaching out arms and legs to try and escape the pile. Jack could see their angry eyes crying tears of blood. And just like all the others, they chanted the single word " _murderer_."

An elaborate gold throne that was fit for a king sat atop the mountain of bodies, with a jeweled gold crown hung on the back. If he wasn't so terrified, Jack would've rolled his eyes at the symbolism.

"The crown is the key!" Ariella yelled at him.

"What?!" Jack shouted.

"The key to get out of here!" Ariella shouted and let go of his wrist, darting off the path and disappearing into the remaining purple fog.

Jack didn't have time to wonder about where she was going. He kept running and he focused in on the pile of zombies with growing apprehension. Getting chased by them just wasn't enough, of course he had to climb a whole mountain of them now. He was not looking forward to this.

Jack stopped in front of the mountain, just out of reach of the arms grasping for him. He looked behind himself with wide eyes, and was relieved to see that at least the other zombies that had been chasing him were far behind. It was a good thing they were incredibly slow, though this did nothing to decrease his fears. There were just so many of them.

A whole hoard of zombies out to get him and his only escape was to climb a mountain of bodies. Talk about stuck between a rock and a hard place. Jack turned back around to look at the mound and cursed. It was a massive amount of zombies, but not all of them had woken up yet. The ones that had were stuck in the pile, weighed down by all the others on top of them. None had escaped yet. As long as they remained trapped, it wasn't likely they could do too much damage. They were too stupid to make any type of real attack anyway, even if he was going to be only a few inches away. At least, that's what Jack tried to tell himself. He needed to psych himself up for this.

Jack gritted his teeth and reached out to the struggling zombies. Their arms grasped at him, tugging his coat and thrashing at his face, but Jack moved closer still. He winced when he grabbed a woman's shoulder because he could feel how cold it was even through the fabric of her blouse, and Jack hoisted himself up onto the mountain. He stepped on a man's face and it grumbled at him, but continued its chant.

"Sorry," Jack forced out. He felt like he was going to be sick again.

He continued climbing, trying to use their shoulders and arms as hand holds, but he couldn't avoid stepping on them. They kept reaching out for him and grabbing at his clothes and tugging at him. They grabbed his braid and pulled, and even though their grip was weak, his head was still pulled back and he almost toppled over. He had to be careful not to get pulled off the mountain.

The woman zombies had surprisingly sharp nails, he found out, as they kept scratching his face. Their long nails dragged down his cheeks and Jack could feel hot blood drip from the cuts. He could feel the blood from the zombies mortal wounds seep in through his Jacket and through his once pristine white shirt. It felt cold and sticky, and made his shirt cling to his chest and his stomach churn.

One zombie bit his calve and he gave it a good kick to the face.

Jack looked up while he was climbing—it was a slow process getting to the top—but at least he was almost there. He couldn't wait to be off of this terrible thing, and hopefully never have to encounter anything else like this ever again.

A female zombie dislodged herself from a spot near the top of the mountain and screeched as she jumped down at Jack with her arms thrashing wildly. Jack cursed and closed his eyes and pressed himself close to the mountain, hoping the woman would miss him. He felt the softness of the zombies flesh press against his own, the stickiness of their blood seeping in through his clothes, the stinging pain of the scratches they gave him while he was so close to them, but he kept himself pressed against them until he heard a thud on the ground. Jack unstuck himself from the mountain and cursed again, then looked down at the splattered corpse at the base of the mountain.

Jack was panting by the time he was able to grab onto the leg of the throne. He climbed up onto the throne and came to his knees in the seat to grab the crown off of the back. His body was shaky with fatigue and he had to swipe the blood off his brow to keep it from getting in his eyes, but as he stood up, he knew he was not climbing back down this awful mountain. No matter how dangerous it was, Jack didn't really care at the moment. He put a foot on the back of the throne and tilted it forward. It came crashing down onto the soft bodies of the awakening zombies and Jack stumbled a bit, but quickly regained his balance. The throne glided down the mountain, trampling over the zombies outstretched arms, and the gold was stained red with their blood.

The throne slid a ways out across the floor before Jack stepped off. He heard the mumblings of the zombie hoard behind him and he knew he didn't have much time to regain his balance before they came for him. So he took off running.

"Jack, come on!" Ariella called out to him.

Ariella stood in front of a huge wooden double door that was at least twice Jack's height. A marble bust sat atop a pedestal to the right. Jack ran up to Ariella and put his hands on his knees, panting.

"Where did you—" Jack said between breaths but was cut off by Ariella telling him to hurry up.

 _If I'm going to be doing all the dirty work, you could at least give me a break,_ Jack thought bitterly, before the thought was replaced by the need to get out of the zombie-infested room. Jack looked up at Ariella and she pointed to the bust.

"You need to put the crown on that to open the doors," Ariella explained.

Jack looked at the detailed bust and noticed it was almost an exact replica of himself. There was a gold placard on the pedestal that said "Hero of Sablier" but the word " _hero_ " was deliberately scratched out. Jack let out a breathy laugh as he placed the crown on the marble head.

The outer edges of the door glowed with glossy white light and flashed brilliantly. Ariella tugged at the ornate doorknobs but the huge doors were too heavy for her small arms. She looked behind herself anxiously, seeing the hoard of zombies draw nearer. Jack shooed her from the front of the door and tried pulling on the door handles himself. His arms ached with exhaustion and he groaned with the effort, but he managed to open the doors enough for Ariella to slip through. Jack felt a tug at his coat as he went through the doors, but he closed them just in time before any of the zombies managed to get in. He and Ariella were both breathing heavily by the time they got through and Jack slumped to the ground in front of the door. He exhaled as he tilted his head back, hearing the _thump_ as his head hit the wood. He closed his eyes while he tried to catch his breath, then looked sideways at Ariella, who sat next to him.

"I am NEVER doing that again," Jack grumbled.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Prey

Jack and Ariella both had no idea where they had ended up, but after the whole escapade with the zombies, they were too tired to care. Jack hoped that nothing else would come after him, at least for a couple of hours. He and Ariella just wandered for a while, trying to find somewhere to sleep, but they were both so exhausted that they gave up and slept on the floor. It was certainly colorful, like an endless sea of rainbow water, but Jack was surprised by how soft it was. The watery substance was not wet at all and didn't leave him drenched when he lied down. It washed up against him like waves on the shore. It had been a long time since Jack had felt relaxed, but the sound of the "waves" calmed his frayed nerves and lulled him to sleep.

Ariella waited for Jack to fall asleep, and she made sure his breathing was steady and even before she left. She didn't want him to wake up and find her not there, so she knew she couldn't take too long. But judging from what Jack had just gone through, Ariella expected him to sleep for a long time.

Ariella and ignored the looks directed her way. She was positively fuming after what had just happened—how dare those dreadful _Ciasstolas_ do such a thing. Cruel, cruel and unnecessary; that's what it was. Ariella visibly _hmphed_ and crossed her arms as she stomped up the steps of the gazebo. Her agitation was clear on her face and she made all the other Ciasstolas know it too, by glaring at anyone who dared to move. She circled the gathering of masked figures and sighed heavily when she noticed Mattrich was missing. That meant Ariella would have to wait amongst the others until she arrived, which she was loathe to do. She stood in a small clearing in the left corner edge and shot venomous glares at any _Ciasstolas_ that looked her way. They all creeped her out with their eerie smiles and dark eyes, always watching. _Like prey_.

Ariella had to give Mattrich a report of her progress so that Mattrich could deliver the message to the Will of the Abyss. Ariella didn't really see the point in the whole system. Mattrich and the others had eyes all over the Abyss and the Will of the Abyss saw everything. This was her domain. Ariella was required to report periodically anyway, but she didn't really put much effort into it. The sinister atmosphere surrounding the Ciasstolas made her uneasy, which added to her displeasure. She could almost _feel_ their eyes on her. Ariella _hmphed_ again and narrowed her eyes at no one in particular.

"Looks like somebody is back from babysitting the bastard," Dietry laughed as she entered the circle. A few chuckles echoed around the group from various members.

"Why are you with him anyway? Must be so horrible, to spend so much time with that monster," one figure said, but there was no trace of pity for Ariella in his voice.

" _Someone_ needs to lead Jack to the trials or he would never find them," Ariella stated flatly, not giving away that she genuinely enjoyed going on this adventure with Jack. Despite all the hardships they'd faced, she liked being there to support him. Ariella figured she was the only one who actually cared about him as a person. She couldn't admit that to her team because, _no_ , that would be absolutely _absurd_.

"But why does it have to be _you_ ," a slender figure asked. Ariella recognized her as the Ciasstolas they called Liena. Ariella had never spoken to Liena, but if she was like any of the other Ciasstolas, Ariella didn't want to.

"I'm qualified," Ariella said simply, "and do any of you even know anything about him at all?"

Liena laughed sensuously. "Oh I know _plenty_ ," she ran her tongue lightly over her carmine lips and glanced upwards, like she was recalling a pleasant memory. "Jack was quite popular with noblewomen," she smirked, "I've seen _all_ of him."

Ariella's lip curled in disgust at Liena's absolute ignorance. How could she possibly be so dense?

Liena bent down so she was eye level with Ariella, "you'll understand when you're older," she said and winked.

Ariella put her hand on her hip and smiled sardonically. "Oh I understand perfectly," she leaned forward to mimic Liena's condescending action, "you're a filthy whore."

Liena immediately straightened out and her eyes widened in shock at Ariella's audacity. _Ciasstolas_ sitting around them hollered and laughed, and Liena shot them all a fierce glare. It didn't shut them up, and Liena crossed her arms over her chest, disgruntled. Ariella smirked, victorious.

"Now, now, Elizabeth, don't tease poor Liena. She can't help being stupid," Mattrich's voice came from above.

The _Magjistarѐ_ stood on higher ground above the group of _Ciasstolas_ like a queen ruling over her subjects. The laughter died instantly. Mattrich sauntered down to the masked figures and they parted to let her pass into the circle. She stood a good distance away from Ariella, but she could still feel Mattrich's cold chill on her skin. The woman always seemed to carry a chilling air with her wherever she went.

Ariella knew Mattrich wasn't referring to Liena's ignorance about Jack's true self, but a different matter that only she, Ariella, and the Will of the Abyss were privy to. Ariella didn't want to get into the details so she shifted the conversation before Mattrich could continue.

"I came to give you my report," Ariella snapped, nerves frayed with irritation.

Mattrich tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest, giving Ariella a bored look. Ariella knew it was a farce, Mattrich always enjoyed seeing Jack in pain. She hoped Mattrich wasn't planning anything new, but judging from the look on her face, it was going to be something entirely new and twisted that Ariella would have to deal with. She still ached to give her an earful about the last trial. She took a deep breath before beginning her speech, and hoped that they wouldn't put Jack even more through the wringer than he already was.

"Jack has been making great progress through the trials, but with all due respect, I think we should tone down their intensity," Ariella said with a strained voice.

"Well if they're working, I don't see any reason why we should stop," Mattrich said with a small, knowing smile. She knew perfectly well what Ariella was trying to do. "Don't you agree?"

"Yes, but—" Ariella started to say.

"The bastard deserves what he gets," Dietry piped in. Ariella shot her a glare and was met with a smug grin that Ariella would've loved to punch right off Dietry's face.

Warrigan, leaning on Dietry, scoffed. "That monster doesn't deserve redemption. We're giving him far more than what he deserves."

"Don't you think you're being a bit too harsh? These trials are taking a terrible toll on him," Ariella tried to argue. "And that last one…you could have seriously hurt him! What were you all thinking, sending a billion zombies after him? And making him climb that vile mountain? You can't _do_ something like that…" Ariella trailed off when she noticed the faces of the _Ciasstolas_ and realized she was shouting.

Mattrich waved her hand, dismissing her rant. "Oh, hush up. They weren't _real_ zombies, just some illusions cast by chains. We gave them physical form with a little bit of magic. Jack was never in any _real_ danger."

Ariella looked incredulous. "How _dare_ you—" she started to say, but was silenced by an intense glare from the _Magjistarѐ_ that meant the end of her side of the argument.

"Besides, they're _working_. That's what matters," Warrigan retorted.

"And Jack has taken a _terrible toll_ on us. Don't you think we should get him back for all that he's done to us? To the whole of Sablier?" Dietry added.

"And what makes you think he can even be saved? Huh, _Elizabeth_?" Mattrich asked, annunciating her name. Her voice was the same volume as the rest, but way more powerful.

The question rang in Ariella's ears, mostly because she wasn't completely sure of it herself. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't know if Jack _could_ be saved. She wanted, oh she wanted so desperately for him to be saved, for him to be able to save himself, but she didn't know if he could. He was too _broken_ to do it himself. He _was_ showing progress; Ariella had never lied in her reports (at least, not about that). But she had never known a time when Jack wasn't obsessed with Lacie. She didn't think she ever would. Ariella wanted to believe in him, but everything was so up in the air that she didn't know what to believe in.

Nevertheless, she would have faith in him.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that he is," Ariella said and gave a curt nod.

She turned her back on all the white robed figures and stalked off without another word. She needed to get back to Jack before he woke, and he would never know that she was gone.

Jack stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the chasm. A rather precarious looking bridge extended from one side to the other, but Jack was wary about crossing it. It looked rickety at best, with old worm-eaten boards held together by fraying rope and rusty nails. It was thin, only one person would be able to move across at a time, and it was such a length that Jack doubted being able to cross it before it collapsed under him. He looked over his shoulder at Ariella, who stood a few feet behind him.

"Absolutely not," Jack said incredulously.

Ariella shrugged, not at all apologetic or worried. "It's the only way across unless you suddenly sprout some wings."

Jack laughed, despite his apprehension. "You and I both know that I'm no angel," he said with a smirk.

He turned to stand at the edge of the bridge and Ariella clapped her hand on his back. He almost shrieked in terror as he was pushed forwards a ways, obviously not expecting Ariellas surprise. He gripped the two wooden posts on either sides of the bridge and Ariella had to laugh at the expression on his face.

"Not a monster either," she giggled, but she was serious about what she said.

Jack inhaled and let go of the wooden posts holding up the bridge. He looked to the side at Ariella giving him that little smirk and he wondered how she could have possibly said something like that. He had _murdered_ her, hadn't he? And here she was, standing there as his friend and joking with him. She believed in him; that he had a soul and could be saved and was somehow still human. It was a strange feeling, but Jack liked it. He had gotten so used to the hatred of the masses—because he agreed with them. But now here was someone who didn't look at him with hatred. This was new. Jack didn't know how to react to it, and he certainly couldn't believe it.

"If only that were true," he said with a wan half-smile. The laughter in Ariella's eyes dimmed.

Jack took a deep breath and looked down at his feet as he took his first step onto the bridge. It shook ever-so-slightly and Jack grasped the handrails like his life depended on it—which it probably did—and he took another step. The bridge seemed to be holding his weight so Jack continued moving forward, slowly, centering his body so he would not disturb the fragile equilibrium he maintained over the gaping chasm. He didn't dare look down, but he knew it was a long drop; one he was not in the mood to accommodate himself with.

"Hurry up, slowpoke, we haven't got all day!" Ariella called from behind him.

Jack growled low in his throat. "Don't rush me, brat."

Ariella guffawed at his response. "And we were getting along so well."

Jack laughed at her mocking tone, but stopped immediately when he felt the bridge shake. The thing seemed hundreds of years old, he didn't need it collapsing underneath him.

He continued moving, brushing his hands along the rope handholds and cautiously testing out each step. He moved slowly, as much for safety as to piss off Ariella behind him. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard her make another comment since they left. It wasn't like her, she was always making casual jabs at him or complaining about something. She was hardly ever silent, that is, unless she was nervous. Jack wondered if she was afraid of heights. They never seemed to bother her before, but Jack couldn't be sure with her. He looked behind himself to see if she was alright, and he saw that she wasn't there _at all_.

"Ariella!" he shouted, but all he got back was an echo.

Jack looked rapidly to either side of him, his braid slapping his shoulders. There was nothing around for miles. The chasm seemed endless, stretching off into the distance until it was little more than murky fog that he couldn't see past. Jack looked down at his feet. The bridge was thin, barely giving him enough room to pass through, and it was terribly wobbly, so it was entirely possible that Ariella had fallen off. Fear gripped Jack heart and he hoped that wasn't the case. Ariella was his only chance at saving Lacie, and the plucky blonde was starting to grow on him. He looked behind him again, gripping the ropes on either side to steady the swaying bridge.

"Ariella!" Jack screamed. It echoed in the distance.

"Ariella!" he tried again.

No reply but the echo.


End file.
